If we want to speak a foreign language in an objectively correct way it is natural we should pay attention to the quality and (quantity) of our sounds which is constituted by articulatory features of both kinds.
English
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Russian
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[i:] front high narrow (diphthongized) unrounded long and tense.
It is pronounced with the bulk of the tongue in the front part of the mouth and the front of the tongue raised high in the direction of the hard palate, but not so high. It is long and tense. The front of the tongue may move from a more open and retracted position to a closer and more advanced one as a result of which the vowel is monophthongized. (Here the tenseness of the vowel gradually increases towards the end). The lips are spread or neutral. The opening between the jaws is rather narrow.
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[i:] isn’t close and advanced at the beginning, but towards the end it may become almost as close and front as the Russian [и].
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[i] front-retracted high-broad unrounded short and lax.
Is pronounced with the bulk of the tongue in the front part of the mouth cavity, but slightly retracted. The front of the tongue is raised in the direction of the hard palate. The lips are spread or neutral. The opening between the jaws is narrow. It is short and lax.
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[I] is more open and less front than Russian [и]. English [I] is pronounced something medium between Russian [и]
and [ы]. [i]
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[и] [ы]
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[e] front mid-narrow unrounded short lax.
It is pronounced with the bulk of the tongue in the front part of the mouth cavity. The front of the tongue is raised in the direction of the hard palate. The lips are spread. The opening between the jaws is medium. It is short and lax. Don’t mix up with [x] and [э].
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Pronouncing Russian [э] we open our mouth wider than articulating English [e].
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